Book-mark.



PATENTED DEG. 1 1, 1906.

P. CROUCH.

BOOK MARK.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.24.1906.

r11: NORRIS F'rrsns :0. WASHINGTON. 0. c4

FRANCES CROUCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOQK-MARK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11. 1906.

Application filed April 24, 1906. Serial No 313.524.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCES CROUCH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book Marks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention is designed to provide a device having pendent strips each provided with an end index to be applied to books for the purpose of enabling the user to conveniently, speedily, and accurately refer to, consecutively or in any desired sequence, various pages, texts, selections, or passages in books, and will be found especially useful by lawyers, ministers, students, compilers, readers in libraries and churches, and particularly those who read for several successive days the same lessons from the Scripture in con' nection with other books where the verses to be read are scattered throughout the books and which necessitate the turning and returning of the leaves, involving a correspond ing amount of wear and tear upon the books, as well as consuming a great deal of time and entailing the liability of losing the train of thought while looking up the desired passage or place.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a book provided with my improved book-mark having pendent strips provided with indexes. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the upper part of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pendent strip provided with an end piece or binder in the shape of a clip having an index thereon. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a book provided with my improved book-mark having pendent strips provided with end pieces in the shape of disks having indexes thereon.

In carrying out my invention I employ pendent strips of ribbon, muslin, or any textile fabric, leather, celluloid, aluminium, or other material a of varying lengths and of a weight not sufficient to tear the leaves of the book when placed therebetween. At the lower ends of the pendent strips which depend from the book are suitably-attached end pieces or binders b of clip shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, having on both sides thereof indicating reference indexes, symbols, or numerals to facilitate the location of the particular page or passage whichever way the book is held. The pendent strips are perforated at a and are reduced in width at their inner or upper ends, so as to be somewhat narrower at the top than the bottom. The inner or upper ends of the pendent strips being reduced in width enables them to be clear of the turn-in. forming the head of the back of the book. I further employ suitable retaining means for said pendent strips and here show a device capable of accommodating any desired number of pendent strips. This retaining means consists of a longitudinal bar of metal of springy material, being bent in form similar to that of a safetypin, so as to provide a straight lower limb or member 0 and an upper limb or member (1, which is bowed to provide a handle and terminates in a hook (1, providing a seat or holder for the free end of the bar, as indicated at 6, so as to allow its ready disengagement in order to permit the insertion of additional pendent strips when necessary.

\Vhile I have here shown the pendent strips having end pieces or binders provided with indexes, such as the numerals or other indicating-symbols printed upon separate end pieces or binders and attached to the lower extremities of the pendent strips, it may be found desirable in using pendent strips of certain material to mark directly thereon the indicating indexes, numerals, or symbols.

The pendent strips may be of uniform width along their entire length, but preferably are made narrower at the top, as shown. The pendent strips may be eyeleted, the eyelets being of a size to admit of the pendent strips to move freely on the lower limb or member 0 of the longitudinal bar, which is inserted through the eyelets for the purpose of holding the pendent strips in place after they have been placed as desired in the book. The pendent strips do not all have to be of different lengths, but may run in series. For instance, those marked with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 may be of the same length and depend an inch, more or less, below those marked with numbers 5, 6, 7, and 8, and those marked with numbers 5, 6, 7, and 8 may depend an inch, more or less, be low those marked with the numbers 9, 10, 11, and 12, &c. It is manifest that the size of the bar and the length of TOG the pendent strips are to be regulated by the size of the volume in which the device is to be used; but the bar in each case should exceed somewhat in length the thickness of the volume in order to permit the book to be laid open fully when in use and also preventing crowding of the pendent strips thereon.

The upper limb of the bar is made curved, so as to lie over the back of the book, and may be ornamented, if desired. In some casesfor instance, Where the device is used in connection with the study of the Scripturesit is desirable to have the indexes or indicating-markers located upon end pieces in the form of disks 6 of sufficient weight to have a tendency of keeping the pendent strips or ribbons to which they are attached perfectly flat and in alinement and also to further facilitate the location of places to be read. This is accomplished by the reader on finishing the reading of a reference say that marked by the pendent strip indexed 1 folding it up inside the book at the place marked and go on to number 2 and repeat the same operation, thus clearing the way, so that when the shorter pendent strips are reached the passages will be found more readily. When the reading is finished, by shaking the book slightly the weight of the disks will cause them to fallout, and the book will be ready for the next reading.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of flexible pendent strips having perforations at their upper ends and indexed end pieces at their lower ends and stringing means for said pendent strips comprising a clasp having a bar threaded through said perforations, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of flexible indicating pendent strips of varying lengths and means comprising a bar of springy material bent substantially in form of a safetypin for holding or retaining said pendent strips, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of perforated pendent strips of varying lengths having at their lower extremities separable indicating end pieces and means consisting of a clasp threaded through said perforations for retaining said pendent strips, substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of indicating pendent strips of varying lengths having at their lower extremities end pieces provided with numerals or symbols, the upper extremities being perforated, and retainin means comprising a bar of springy materia bent in the form of a clasp, said bar being threaded through the perforated pendent strips, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of pendent strips, some of said pendent strips varying in length, all having at their lower ends end pieces provided with indicating numerals or symbols, and fastening means for the upper ends of said pendent strips, said means comprising a bar of springy material bent in the form of a clasp, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of flexible pendent strips of varying lengths, having attached at their lower extremities, metallic end pieces in the form of disks and a retaining-clasp for said pendent strips, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of flexible pendent strips having reduced upper ends for clearing the turn in of the back of the book and provided with perforations and stringing means for said pendent strips comprising a clasp having a bar threaded through said perforations, substantially as described.

FRANCES CROUCH. l/Vitnesses:

C. F. SoNNEK, WILLIAM P. HAMMOND. 

